When Guitar Hero was released in 2005, millions of people around the world wondered how they could ever get a friend to possibly look stupider than playing a plastic guitar with big, colorful buttons. Many thought that such a goal could never be accomplished, and indeed, not even Rock Band‘s drums could trump the silliness inherit in carrying an undersized toy guitar around your neck.

Thankfully, Red Octane and Activision’s designers have been hard at work trying to figure out how they could keep someone from ever getting laid again, and the answer is here.

Yes, it’s Guitar Hero DS, aka Guitar Hero: On Tour (cause it’s portable, see…)

I had to check today’s date when this email hit my inbox, but nope… it’s not April 1st yet. IGN and Yahoo really do have the scoop on the game.

Notice that there’s only 4 fret buttons around this time.

The little add-on also comes with a stylus pick which you use to strum the guitar on the touch screen. Apparently the microphone will be used as well, possibly to kick off Star Power mode. No songs have been announced for it just yet, but it will have 20 licensed ones. The three bands confirmed so far are Nirvana, OK Go, and No Doubt.

Like in the console versions you’ll be able to pick different characters (including two new ones) and advance through different venues via a career mode. It will also support co-op and versus multiplayer matches over local wireless. There’s no price or release date yet but expect this monstrosity to hit sometime in summer.

Check this video out for a look at how the thing will play, and to see two people who didn’t get paid nearly enough for the amount of shame they’re going to have to live down.

Are we going to start seeing kids playing these things on the subways in lieu of blasting their annoying cell phone ringtones? Let us hope not…